


in vino veritas

by tekotaide



Category: Anno 1790
Genre: 18th Century, Alcohol, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-02
Updated: 2012-04-02
Packaged: 2017-11-02 22:58:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/374294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tekotaide/pseuds/tekotaide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dåådh realizes that to him, being home means being with Freund.</p>
            </blockquote>





	in vino veritas

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, SPOILERS because this takes place immediately after the finale. Also, I've only seen this show once (because no dvd's in Finland!), and this fic is a really, really shallow thing. I'd like to go deeper into these themes later, but I really want to rewatch the show..... Also, English isn't my first language and blah blah.

Night had already fallen when Dåådh finally arrived home - it did feel like home, more than anyplace else he had lived in. He felt defeated, a bit embarrassed, but also relieved. He hated this city - hated the way this country worked - but his friends were here. He really didn't wish to live his life without them.

He had to smile when he thought of Madgalena. He should have known she wouldn't let him just leave. Women can be very persuasive in those things.

And then there was Freund. Dåådh hesitated in front of his door - well, technically it was Freund's door now - wondering if it would be answered at all. And what should he expect for a welcome? A punch in the face?

He felt like he had done Freund wrong twice, now. First leaving him, his closest friend, not listening to his pleas - and then sneaking back like a coward after a woman they both loved made him change his mind.

He thought of their goodbye. Freund hugging him tight, like he never wanted to let go. Giving Dåådh his beloved Bible. A hint of tears in his eyes, his smile twitching a bit.

Dåådh let out a sigh and prepared to deal with Freund sulking and not speaking to him for a week or so.

 

He finally knocked, but was greeted only with silence. He tried the door. It was unlocked.  
Dåådh frowned and carefully stepped inside. It was dim, there was a single candle on the table, almost burnt out, and he couldn't see anyone.

"Freund...?" he called out, softly. He had a creeping sense of fear in his gut. Had something happened? Had someone broken in here, coming after Dåådh but finding Freund instead? No, maybe the man was simply outside, having a drink, or - more hopefully - attending a sermon. But why would he have left a candle burning? The door unlocked?

Dåådh called out his friend's name again, put his bags on the floor and reached to light another candle. There was no answer, but the increased light revealed a dark slump on the floor.

"Freund!"

Dåådh rushed to him, rolled him to his back and examined him quickly with his heart in his throat. Freund didn't appear to be hurt, though - just sleeping, his breathing deep and slow. Dåådh took a more thorough look around, and noticed the ridiculous amount of wine bottles scattered around the room. Freund was still clutching to his precious flask of vodka.

"Freund, you stupid, stupid man..." Dåådh sighed and got up, finally removing his hat, scarf and overcoat. He locked the door, lit a couple more candles and poured some fresh water into a glass, intending to make Freund wake up and drink something non-alcoholic for a change.

 

Freund made a sound then, a pained groan, scrunched his face and opened his eyes, blinking. The men looked at each other for a while, silently, until Freund covered his face with his hands and sighed.

"I really overdid it this time, didn't I..."

Dåådh went to him, helped him sit up and gave him the glass of water.

"How are you feeling?" he simply asked, gently. He could lecture Freund about his drinking habits the next day.

"Wait..." Freund said slowly, glaring at the glass in his hands. "You're real? How?"

Freund looked up, stared at his friend's face, confused.

"Yes, I - I came back. I'm home again. You're not seeing things. Have some water, it'll help."

Freund sipped at the water carefully, clearly trying to wrap his drunken mind around this. He seemed to be unable to react in any way.

Dåådh felt a rush of guilt, then. Of course Freund would try to drink himself to death. Everything seemed to send him into a downward spiral. He should have known.

"Forgive me, Freund", he found himself saying, his voice barely more than a whisper.

 

Freund put the glass on the floor. There was a moment of silence before he seemed to make up his mind and lifted his hand to slap Dåådh's face. The hit missed - drunken coordination - and Dåådh easily wrestled his hands down, forcing him into an embrace instead. Freund struggled for a moment, cursing under his breath, before giving up and burying his face into Dåådh's shoulder, sobbing.

"It's okay, it's okay", Dåådh kept saying, cradling Freund in his arms and rocking him gently, like he was trying to get an infant to calm down.

He hated seeing his friend like this - it hadn't happened often, but sometimes too much alcohol made something snap in Freund's head and he broke down completely. It hurt that there was nothing Dåådh could do to help.

 

The fit didn't last long this time. Freund took a deep, shaky breath, dried his face into his sleeve and sat up straighter. He looked exhausted.

"Did fru Wahlsted change your mind?" Freund asked, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Yes, she... helped me see things differently."

Freund remained silent. Dåådh put his hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed.

"She wouldn't have found me if you hadn't told her where I was", he said, stood up and began collecting the glasses and bottles from the floor.

"I need to use the privy", Freund mumbled after a while and got up, supporting himself against the wall.

"If you're not back in fifteen minutes, I'm coming to get you", Dåådh warned.  
"Yes, yes", Freund said as he went out through the back door.

 

Dåådh took his bags into his room, which he found exactly as he'd left it. He washed his face without bothering to light a candle, dug out a clean white shirt from his bag and removed his travel clothes to put it on. He turned to go to check up on Freund, and jumped when the man was there, standing at his door.

"Ah, damn, Freund, don't sneak around like that, you scared me", Dåådh sighed, rubbing his temples.  
"Sorry", Freund simply said, looking a bit shaken himself. Dåådh noticed that he'd managed to get changed into his night gown - maybe he was starting to sober up. He was still swaying a bit, though, and seemed to be troubled about something, making faces by himself.

"Is something wrong?" Dåådh asked, starting to get worried again. Sometimes he had no idea what was going on in his friend's head.  
"I don't feel so good."  
"Are you going to throw up..? Do you want me to find a bucket or something?"  
"No, no, I just - - I -- could I stay with you here tonight?" Freund blurted out, flushed, embarrassed. He was looking straight into Dåådh's eyes, though - determined; asking, not begging.

 

That look was what made Dåådh have to think about it for a while. The thought of sharing a bed with Freund wouldn't have sounded weird before, but now it had not been a day since he'd shared one with Madgalena.

 

Realizing that he was afraid that Freund would be able to smell her scent on him made him all the more confused.

 

"If you wish so", he said nevertheless. He didn't feel like venturing deeper into that thought just yet.

Freund didn't wait for a more certain invitation, and slipped into Dåådh's room and immediately climbed into his bed. Dåådh had to smile - under the covers Freund looked like a child troll with his shaggy, dark hair.

Dåådh exited the room to blow out the candles and fumbled back in the darkness, managing to bump his head against Freund's as he climbed under the covers. They giggled a while at that, like schoolboys, and Dåådh forgot his previous feeling of awkwardness.

Freund made himself more comfortable, pressed his face against Dåådh's chest and let out a deep sigh. Dåådh covered them with a blanket and wrapped his arm around Freund. The man fell asleep instantly.

 

Dåådh spent a while thinking about where he would be now if he had stuck to his original plan. He found it hard to imagine himself on a ship, possibly sleeping on the floor, alone, having no idea of where he was supposed to go.

He'd never felt more grateful as he did now, listening to his best friend snoring softly next to him.

He wanted to stay awake, enjoy the moment, but his day had been a long one, and the traveling took its toll. He started drifting to sleep within minutes, his face buried in Freund's hair, breathing in the scent that he'd learned to associate with home.


End file.
